User blog:Sarcastic Don/Character Appreciation - Week 2: Byakuya Togami
Welcome to Danganronpa Character Appreciation, a blog series in which we'll look at one Danganronpa character, what we like and dislike about them, how they've grown, and how much we love them. I'm Katie, and this week, we'll be looking at the Super High School Level Affluent Progeny, Byakuya Togami! Overview Byakuya Togami was part of the 78th class of Hope's Peak Academy, and debuts in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. In his introduction, his demeanor is incredibly condescending, aloof and arrogant as he insists Makoto should leave him alone. Once the killing games starts, he continues to be a lone wolf and chooses to investigate on his own. In fact, he leaves for so long in Chapter 2 that he worries the other Ultimates and they send a search party. Yet, he was reading in the library so he could have time alone. Part of his standoffishness comes from his title, blessing him with genes in the top one percent. He does not want to associate with the lowly Ultimates and rarely relies on them for help. From Chapter 2, we discover Toko Fukawa's admiration for him and she becomes his stalker until they graduate. He constantly voices his disgust for her, even forcing her to not speak or breathe unless he allows it. Despite this, they sneak around the school together, though he usually made her stand guard when he entered rooms. During that Chapter trial, he manipulated the crime scene to lure serial killer Genocider Syo, Toko's alternate ego. He successfully framed her but later admitted he suspected the true culprit from the start. As the supposed villain of the cast, he wanted to make the case more "interesting" to give the others a challenge. Surprisingly, in Chapter 4 he gets the killer wrong because he is unable to understand the others' emotions. He fell for the murder setup rather than recognize the true motive of the killer. He refuses to believe this possibility and lashes out in the courtroom even after Kyoko explains the case. In the final trial, he agrees to help the others defeat the mastermind and sets aside his ego for the sake of preserving his family's name. Opinions I gained massive respect in his free time events. While he pushes his privilege on others, his backstory justifies his ego. He fought against 15 siblings for his Ultimate title and become the true heir of the Togami bloodline. Even when he is callous toward the others, I appreciate his humor. He is the king of one liners (out of my way plankton, tell 'em Naegi, etc.) that I usually enjoy his superiority complex especially in contrast to Toko's inferiority complex. Even during the Chapter 2 trial I did not hold his manipulative nature against him. He wanted the Ultimates to prove their worth, and Byakuya later stated that he would need to watch out for Naegi if he ever attempted murder. Like the trials he faced earning his title, he only wanted the same for them, and to have fun himself, so only the strongest survived the killing game. Out of all the DR1 survivors, he's one of three (including Kyoko and Makoto) who fought their way to the end. Given his background as an elite and constant journeys to the library, he was very efficient in the trials and could bring a level of common sense where it was lacking. He also befriends most of the cast, or at least learns to tolerate them, which is great development by the end of the game. While this may not be true for Toko, he admitted that he would consider a visit from any of the survivors. Overall, while he might be arrogant and callous he's a great source of entertainment and is always a pleasure to watch. Best Moment: Whenever he says tell 'em Naegi. Saying ten million dollars wasn't a good enough motive Best Chapter: Chapter 2 Comments What about you? Despite the title, this blog is open to all opinions! Share your thoughts about Byakuya in the comments. Don't forget to share your Best Moment and Best Chapter of Byakuya! Next week, RBW will be analyzing and giving his opinions on the Super High School Level Gambler, Celestia Ludenberg. ---- Category:Blog posts